Lundqvist, Avery help Rangers continue hot stretch

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- After Colton Orr knocked out Todd Fedoruk,
Henrik Lundqvist shut out the rest of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Lundqvist posted his fifth shutout of the season and Sean Avery
scored twice as the New York Rangers continued their push for a
playoff spot with a 5-0 triumph over the lowly Flyers.

Brendan Shanahan returned after an absence of more than a month
to record two assists and rookie defenseman Dan Girardi also set
up a pair of goals for the Rangers (37-28-9), who moved within
one point of the idle Tampa Bay Lightning (40-30-4) for sixth
place in the Eastern Conference. New York has earned at least
one point in 11 of its last 12 games (8-1-3).

"I think the last two months, we've been playing good hockey and
now we're starting to get the points as well, which is huge for
us," Lundqvist said. "(These) are fun games to play and it's
important points. I think that's why we're playing better."

Just 21 seconds into the game, Orr engaged in a fight with
Fedoruk and landed a hard punch to the side of the Philadelphia
enforcer's head, which hit the ice as he fell. Fedoruk was
attended to by a member of the Flyers' medical staff and was
carried from the ice on a stretcher and taken to St. Vincent's
Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion.

"The same thing could have happened to me. It's part of the
game," Orr said. "I hope he is all right. You don't want to
see that happen. It's a tough game, but you don't want to see
him get hurt like that."

"You never want to see a guy get hurt," Flyers coach John
Stevens said. "When a guy leaves the ice, especially on a
stretcher, it's something you don't ever want to see.
Obviously, he got hit hard and he was injured. Immediately,
you're thinking for his safety. I'm glad they had help there
right away."

Having just come back from a similar injury, Shanahan offered
plenty of sympathy to Fedoruk.

"I feel really bad for him because I know what he's going
through," Shanahan said. "I saw immediately when he hit the
ice, when your arms go up by your side like that, it means that
you are knocked out. It was an eerie feeling. Obviously, I was
concerned about him, but at the same time, I had some
flashbacks myself.

"I heard he had some fighting spirit left when they were getting
(him) on the stretcher. He didn't want to get on. That was a
good sign. It's an unfortunate thing."

Things failed to get better for Philadelphia as Petr Prucha
scored the only goal New York needed just over three minutes
later. Captain Jaromir Jagr doubled the lead 86 seconds into
the middle period with a power-play tally before Avery began his
first multi-goal performance as a Ranger during a man advantage
at 7:50 for a 3-0 bulge.

"They beat us three weeks ago when we thought it was going to be
an easy win for us," Jagr said. "This time, we wanted to make
sure it's not going to be the same game."

After Jed Ortmeyer scored midway through the third, Avery
completed his second two-goal effort of the season with 7:26
remaining to cap the scoring.

Lundqvist had a fairly easy night, stopping seven shots in the
first period, eight in the second and just two in the third en
route to his seventh career shutout. It was the second blanking
in three games for the Swede, who has allowed just four goals
in his last four contests.

"We know every mistake can cost us a game, so that's why we
managed the puck better," Lundqvist said. "We made the better
choices out there."

The shutout was the Rangers' first at home against the Flyers
since March 30, 1981, when Steve Baker helped New York earn a
0-0 tie.

Sidelined since February 17 with a concussion suffered in a
vicious collision with Philadelphia's Mike Knuble, Shanahan had
a successful return to the lineup, setting up both of Avery's
goals. The 38-year-old missed New York's previous 15 games.

"It was great. I wanted to step in and fit in and not distract
or disrupt," Shanahan said. "I wanted it to be about the team
and getting the win and keeping our focus. Obviously, the warm
welcome I received and my teammates welcoming me back (was
nice)."

"First of all, it's just great to see him back out on the ice,"
Lundqvist said. "Secondly, he's a great player and it means a
lot for this team, both on the ice and here in the locker room.
It's fun to have him back. He didn't look rusty at all."

Matt Cullen recorded his 200th career assist for the Rangers,
who improved to 7-1-1 in their last nine home contests.

"Judging from the comments on the bench, the guys knew that this
was an important game and we had to get thinking about what we
have got to do," New York coach Tom Renney said. "So everything
we had hoped to hear was certainly there."

Antero Niittymaki made 29 saves for the Flyers, who have lost
three in a row and five of six.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game," Stevens said. "We
generated some chances but didn't finish. It was an uphill
battle. ... They were the better team tonight."

Prucha scored his 19th goal of the season at 3:40 of the opening
period, carrying down the left wing and cutting to the slot
before using defenseman Denis Gauthier as a screen to beat
Niittymaki. Gauthier also was a factor in New York's second
tally, as Jagr's shot from the slot deflected off his stick and
past the netminder early in the second.

Avery netted his third goal in four games less than seven
minutes later on a wrist shot from high in the right faceoff
circle.

"The assist can go to the fans because I didn't want to hear
them start yelling, 'Shoot,'" Avery said. "I thought I'd just
get that over right away."

Ortmeyer made it 4-0 when he slapped the puck by Niittymaki
after Cullen's blast from the left circle caromed off the end
boards. Avery completed a nifty passing sequence 2 1/2 minutes
later for the final margin.

"Cally (Ryan Callahan) made a great pass to Shanny, and the
goalie's obviously nervous when Shanny's in that position,"
Avery said. "He slid it over and I just went five-hole, and it
was in."